Blanket roll means



Nov. 26, 1963 J. c. HQVEKAMP ETAL BLANKET ROLL MEANS Filed Nov. 16, 1960 INVENTORS JOHN C. HOVEKAMP 1f EDWARD J. RUSSELL JR.

I IQMML/ L ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,111,896 BLANKET ROLL MEANS John C. Hovekamp, Elyria, and Edward J. Russell, Jr.,

Sandusky, Ghio, assignors to Kamru Products Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 69,664 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-37) This invention relates to a blanket roll and particularly to blanket roll means useful in the decoration and imprinting of lids for food containers and the like and to the decoration of other similar articles. The invention provides a blanket roll assembly adapted to be used in combination with one or more plate rolls from which fiexographic ink or paste ink is transferred to the blanket roll for subsequent transfer to the top of the container lid. This operation necessitates reaching into the container lid interior in order to make the necessary impression. At the same time the container lids must be handled in such a way as to allow for their flow through the printing apparatus on a continuous production basis Without interference or catching of the container lids with the imprinting apparatus and particularly the blanket roll means. Ideally the arrangement should be such that the blanket roll means is capable of picking off successively supplied container lids and simultaneously imprinting and impelling them through the imprinting zone and freely releasing them immediately at the conclusion of the printing operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide blanket roll means which meet the above requirements in a superior manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a platen for a blanket roll assembly which may be formed economically solely by turning operations.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description of an example of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partly broken away side elevation of a blanket roll assembly embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blanket roll assembly seen in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational View of the blanket roll assembly seen in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 4 is a view partly schematic in character illustrating the use of the blanket roll assembly shown in FIGURES 1-3, such blanket roll assembly being combined in the particular example illustrated with another substantially identical assembly.

The illustrated blanket roll assembly comprises a longitudinally extending base subassembly including a cylinder or' tube having bushing means at either end thereof such as the bushings 11. Gear means or pulley means or other suitable linkage means (not shown) are linked to the cylinder 10 adjacent one end thereof for rotatably driving the illustrated blanket roll assembly.

The base subassembly comprises plate adapters in addition to the cylinder 10 in the particular apparatus shown. These plate adapters are in the form of bars 12 which are bolted against the longitudinally extending flat 13 formed along the side of the cylinder 10.

According to the invention, there is provided as part of the blanket roll assembly at least one platen element comprising a unitary piece of metal having a top face adapted to receive a blanket 16 (FIGURE 4). In the particular apparatus illustrated two such platen elements are provided on the blanket roll assembly in diametric opposition to each other with respect to the central longitudinal axis 17 of the base subassembly. The blankets 16 on each platen element are not shown in FIGURES l-3 but are indicated in FIGURE 4. The blankets may, as illustrated,

3,1 l 1,83% Patented Nov. 26, 1963 extend entirely over the top face of the associated platen element, or they may extend only over portions thereof. In either case the blankets 16 are anchored to their support by suitable means as by adhesive, according to conventional practice with regard to blanket rolls. The blankets 16 may comprise conventional fabric-reinforced offset blanket material including natural or synthetic rubber or the like. There is involved in the case of the illustrated apparatus a printing operation where an ink or inks (of one or more colors), supplied from one or more plate rolls turning through the paths indicated by the circles 18 and 19 in FIGURE 4, are offset onto the blanket 16 and thence imprinted on the articles being decorated by the apparatus.

In the particular apparatus illustrated two platen elements 20 are provided on each blanket roll assembly and two blanket roll assemblies, generally indicated in FIG- URE 4 by the reference numerals 21 and 22, are provided, making a total of four platens 20. Only the platens 20 associated with the upper blanket roll assembly 21 perform the offset printing operation in the particular apparatus illustrated. The lower blanket roll assembly 22 in this apparatus functions as an impression cylinder or backing cylinder.

Each of the platen elements 20 has a top face 25 comprising a section of a cylinder symmetrical about a first longitudinal plane of symmetry AA which includes the longitudinally central axis 17 of the base subassembly. The top face 25 is also symmetrical about a second transverse plane of symmetry BB normal to the plane AA and to the longitudinally central axis 17. The unitary piece of metal of which each of the platens 20 is comprised is bounded by the top face 25 and also by an underside 27 supported against the base subassembly and in the particular embodiment supported directly against the associated bar 12 to which the platen is bolted, as shown. The unitary piece of metal of which each of the platens 20 is comprised is also bounded by side faces 31 and 32 extending between the top face 25 and the underside 27.

The side faces 31 and 32 comprise a pair of cylindrical sections located on different sides of the first plane of symmetry AA. Each of the pair of cylindrical sections 31 and 32 has its own associated axis of curvature which lies within the second plane of symmetry BB and is parallel to the first plane of symmetry AA but is on the side thereof opposite to the cylindrical section 31 or 32 with which the particular axis of curvature is associated. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, the axis of curvature C of the side face 31 is located on the opposite side of the plane AA from the face 31, and the axis of curvature D of the side face 32 is located on the opposite side of the plane AA from the side face 32.

The upper and lower roll assemblies 21 and 22 may be driven from the same gear train or other drive means and are therefore synchronized for movement together and in proper registration with each other and with other rolls in the roll trains associated with the press mechanism, such as the plate rolls moving in the paths 18 and 19.

If a succession of container lids 41, supported on the bottom 42 of a chute or table or track or the like, is intermittently advanced in proper synchronization to the position of the leftmost lid 41 as shown in FIGURE 4, each lid will in turn be picked oflf by cooperating platens 20 on the upper and lower blanket roll assemblies 21 and 22 to be propelled through the throat of the press while simultaneously receiving an impression from the upper of the two platens 20 then in contact with the lid. Each lid will be freely released as it completes its pass through the throat of the mechanism to be received by an outfeed chute or other suitable handling means (not shown).

The lids 41 are picked olf by the cooperating upper and lower platen means 20 due in part to the slight interference between the foremost lid 41 and the circular path of movement of the platens 20 on the upper blanket roll assembly 21 as indicated in FIGURE 4.

This invention is not restricted to the slavish limitation of each and every one of the details described above which have been set forth merely by way of example with the intent of most clearly setting forth the teaching of the invention. Obviously devices may be provided which change, eliminate or add certain specific structural details without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A blanket roll assembly for imprinting of container lids and the like comprising a longitudinally extending base subassembly adapted to be rotatably supported by bushing means at each end thereof, at least one offset printing blanket, and a platen element for supporting the blanket and comprsing a unitary piece of block metal having a top face adapted to receive said blanket and having a thickness substantially greater than that of said blanket, said top face comprising a section of a cylinder symmetrical about a first longitudinal plane of symmetry which includes the longitudinally central axis of said base subassembly and also about a second transverse plane of symmetry normal to said first plane and to said longitudinally central axis, said unitary piece of metal being bounded by said top face and also by an underside supported against said base subassembly and by side faces extending between said top face and said underside, said side faces comprising a pair of sections of surfaces of revolution, each section being located on its own side of said first plane of symmetry.

2. A blanket roll assembly for imprinting of container lids and the like comprising a longitudinally extending base subassembly adapted to be rotatably supported by bushing means at each end thereof, at least one offset printing blanket and a platen element for supporting the blanket and comprising a unitary piece of block metal having a top face adapted to receive said blanket and having a thickness substantially greater than that of said blanket, said top face comprising a section of a cylinder symmetrical about a first longitudinal plane of symmetry which includes the longitudinally central axis of said base subassembly and also about a second transverse plane of symmetry normal to said first plane and to said longitudinally central axis, said unitary piece of metal being bounded by said top face and also by an underside supported against said base subassembly and by side faces extending between said top face and said underside, said side faces comprising a pair of cylindrical sections each located on its own side of said first plane of symmetry.

3. A blanket roll assembly for imprinting of container lids and the like comprising a longitudinally extending base subassembly adapted to be rotatably supported by bushing means at each end thereof, at least one offset printing blanket, and a platen element for supporting the blanket and comprising a unitary piece of block metal having a top face adapted to receive said blanket and having a thickness substantially greater than that of said blanket, said top face comprising a section of a cylinder symmetrical about a first longitudinal plane of symmetry which includes the longitudinally central'axis of said base subassembly and also about a second transverse plane of symmetry normal to said first plane and to said longitudinally central axis, said unitary piece of metal being bounded by said top face and also by an underside supported against said base subassembly and by side faces extending between said top face and said underside, said side faces comprising a pair of cylindrical sections each located on its own side of said first plane of symmetry and each having its own associated axis of curvature which lies within said second plane of symmetry and is parallel to said first plane of symmetry but on the side thereof opposite from the cylindrical section with which the particular axis of curvature is associated.

4. A blanket roll assembly for imprinting of container lids and the like comprising a longitudinally extending base subassembly adapted to be rotatably supported by bushing means at each end thereof, two offset printing blankets, and two platen elements for respectively supporting the two blankets, the platen elements each com prising a unitary piece of block metal having a top face adapted to receive its associated blanket and having a thickness substantially greater than that of said blanket, said top face comprising a section of a cylinder symmetrical about a first longitudinal plane of symmetry which includes the longitudinally central axis of said base subassembly and also about a second transverse plane of symmetry normal to said first plane and to said longitudinally central axis, said unitary piece of metal being bounded by said top face and also by an underside supported against said base subassembly and by side faces extending between said top face and said underside, said side faces comprising a pair of sections of surfaces of revolution, each section being located on its own side of said first plane of symmetry, said two platen elements being in diametric opposition to each other with respect to said central longitudinal axis of said base subassembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,092 Merrell Dec. 31, 1907 1,383,552 McDonough July 5, 1921 2,160,725 Flint May 30, 1939 2,625,099 Cookson Jan. 13, 1953 2,631,536 Riley Mar. 17, 1953 2,674,939 Brengman Apr. 13, 1954 2,749,838 Stover June 12, 1956 2,818,015 Fiala Dec. 31, 1957 2,924,169 Scott Feb. 9, 1960 2,995,081 Crissy et a1 Aug. 8, 1961 3,035,515 McKay May 22, 1962 

1. A BLANKET ROLL ASSEMBLY FOR IMPRINTING OF CONTAINER LIDS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BASE SUBASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY BUSHING MEANS AT EACH END THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OFFSET PRINTING BLANKET, AND A PLATEN ELEMENT FOR SUPPORTING THE BLANKET AND COMPRISING A UNITARY PIECE OF BLOCK METAL HAVING A TOP FACE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID BLANKET AND HAVING A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID BLANKET, SAID TOP FACE COMPRISING A SECTION OF A CYLINDER SYMMETRICAL ABOUT A FIRST LONGITUDINAL PLANE OF SYMMETRY WHICH INCLUDES THE LONGITUDINALLY CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID BASE SUBASSEMBLY AND ALSO ABOUT A SECOND TRANSVERSE PLANE OF SYMMETRY NORMAL TO SAID FIRST PLANE AND TO SAID LONGITUDINALLY CENTRAL AXIS, SAID UNITARY PIECE OF METAL BEING BOUNDED BY SAID TOP FACE AND ALSO BY AN UNDERSIDE SUPPORTED AGAINST SAID BASE SUBASSEMBLY AND BY SIDE FACES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP FACE AND SAID UNDERSIDE, SAID SIDE FACES COMPRISING A PAIR OF SECTIONS OF SURFACES OF REVOLUTION, EACH SECTION BEING LOCATED ON ITS OWN SIDE OF SAID FIRST PLANE OF SYMMETRY. 